In the Beginning
by Hips
Summary: A short piece during Letty's childhood. Told from Dom's point of view.


By: Hips aka Juls  
  
Rating: PG 13, implied child abuse  
  
Summary: A short, stand alone piece. From Dom's POV.  
  
Notes: I'm a fic virgin and this is my cherry project. So please let me know what was good, what was bad etc so I can do better next time. I own nothing. I know this type of story has been done before but I thought I'd write it anyways.  
  
There are some moments that you remember for the rest of your life. I was 14 at the time and watching a basketball game. I'm not sure who was playing but it's not really important. The thing that was weird about that night was that my father was standing completely still, looking out the front window. Usually when a game was on we would watch it together. That was the best thing in my childhood. I came from a family were my dad loved Mia and me. And in a neighbourhood like mine that was a rare occurrence.  
  
I wasn't really paying attention to him, at that time, it wasn't important but later on, it was all I could think about. From what filtered through my basketball focused brain, my father talking to himself. From what I could catch he was debating going across the street, despite his apprehensions about muddling in other peoples business. There was a long pause and then he seemed to make his decision. I sat up a little and watched him walk right across the street and up to the Gonzales' house.  
  
Letty. Now that I wasn't watching TV anymore, I could hear the yelling and screaming coming from across the street. From where I sat I could see my dad push his way past the front door and disappear into the house. The yelling got louder when my father joined in and then, all of a sudden it was quiet and he emerged again with Letty in his arms who was wrapped in a blanket and clinging to him.  
  
Walking into the living room, my father stopped in front of me. "Where's Mia?" He asked gruffly. But his actions with Letty betrayed his feeling as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. Looking up at him I stammered, "She's at a friend's house for the night." He nodded his acknowledgment and thought for a moment but kept glancing out the front window for any signs of life across the street. He stood there in silence for some time just waiting but there was a loud crash from outside as Mr. Gonzales opened his front door and started across to our house.  
  
He nodded and looked down at Letty and spoke to her in a soft soothing voice, "Now Letty, Dom is going to take you up stairs and get you dressed. And then you can sleep here, for as a long as you want. Ok, sweetheart? You don't have to go back there." She nodded shyly, and I stood and took her in my arms. Even with the thick blanket around her I could feel her tiny body trembling; automatically I tightened my hold on her.  
  
As I stepped past my father to go upstairs, he stopped me and leaned down from behind me to whisper in my ear. "Take her and get her dressed in something of Mia's, make sure she's comfortable and happy, and whatever you do not let her come back down here. There's going to be some yelling, just keep her calm and tell her that she's safe. I'll take care of the rest." I nodded, feeling uneasy about the situation.  
  
I took the stairs two at a time and closed the door behind me as we entered Mia's room. Through the floor you could hear the muffled yelling of both of our fathers. Setting her on the edge of Mia's bed I turned and riffled through a few of the dresser drawers. Finding a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt I turned around and tried to remove the blanket but Letty just sniffled and clutched it closer to herself. 'It's ok," I told her lowly, "I'm just going to help you change and then we can get some sleep. Ok?" I watched her face for any sign of an answer and her head nodded ever so slightly.  
  
I pushed it off her shoulders and it pooled around her hips. To my horror, I found her almost completely naked but her skin was not bare of any marks. I could clearly see the bruises in the shape of fingers on her arms and thighs leaving no doubt to what her father had done. I now noticed a gash on her head just above her right ear and the hair around it was matted to her head. I could now understand why my father felt he needed to get involved. She was just a little girl.  
  
I turned around and found a pair of Mia's sweatpants and slipped them on her before I helped her to put on a sweatshirt. I stood while she tried to find the ends of the sleeves; like me, Mia was big for her age and being 12 she was much larger than Letty who was 9 but looked about 7. I opened the door a crack, curious as to why there was suddenly quiet downstairs.  
  
From where I was, I could see my father blocking off the stairs. He was talking in a low voice and I could hear him straining to keep calm. "No, Chris, you can't have Letty back. She's safe now, and if I have anything to do with it, you'll never lay another finger on her again!"  
  
"Do you hear that baby?" Mr. Gonzales yelled up the stairs, "He thinks he can take you away from me! You know you don't want me to go. Letty, come down here and tell him he's wrong. Tell Mr. Toretto that you like it when we-" he was cut off then what only could have been a punch caught him in the mouth. I closed the door and turned to find Letty huddled in the corner, walking slowly to her, I murmured soft reassurances to her. I could hear them fighting down stairs but I focused on the crying girl in the corner.  
  
There was a crash from down stairs and she suddenly looked up at me. I saw the fear in her eyes but it was replaced with relief when she saw who it was. Or rather who it wasn't. I reached out my hand to her and when she took it I swung her up into my arms. She latched around my neck and I cautiously opened the door. I hurried down the short hallway but before I could even reach my doorway I heard my father yell for Mr. Gonzales to get out. On his way out the door Mr. Gonzales yelled up at the stairs for Letty. "Listen you little bitch! If you don't come home with me right now you may as well be dead!" There was a pause in his tirade, and I could feel Letty cling closer to me and I tightened my hold on her in response. "Fine you little whore! Don't come crying to me when these people find out who you really are!"  
  
The front door slammed and an eerie silence fell over the house. The only thing I could hear was Letty's soft crying on my shoulder, which eventually slowed and then stopped all together. Her deep breathing gave me a hint that she was asleep. I stood there in the middle of my room just holding her, completely lost in my own thoughts. There was a soft knock at my door and it opened and my fathers head poked in.  
  
He offered a tentative smile and I could see the blood on his teeth. Mr. Gonzales had apparently gotten his licks in but I noticed that his knuckles were bruised and cut too so I felt a little better knowing that he had given as good as he had gotten. Hopefully better.  
  
My father came closer with a determined look in his eye. "Don't ever let that man near her again." He said, very softly but his tone of voice gave no room for questions. "He is not fit to be anyone's father let alone this little angel. Isn't that right sweetheart?" Letty stirred when he took her from my arms but she snuggled right into his.  
  
Turning away from me, they left the room and I could hear him put her to bed in cot in his room and begin to singing softly to her. Trying to reassure her safety. I was still rooted in place when my father came back into my room. He put his hand on my shoulder and led me to sit on the edge of my bed.  
  
"Dominic," he started, he only used my full name when it was something serious, "I need you to help me keep Letty safe. Her dad is going to be back, he's going to want to take her home again so you keep an eye on her when I'm not around ok? She's going to stay here, with us until." he trailed off, "until we can find some better arrangements for her."  
  
I nodded mutely at him, unsure of what to say. My mind was still stuck on "keep her safe ... keep an eye on her when I'm not around." Still nodding, he pulled me into a hug. a real hug not one of those macho back slapping hugs. When he let me go, he stood and quietly left the room and I was left to stare at the ceiling most of the night. Letty woke only once in the night, screaming though. Yelling to make it stop, my father was up in an instant and I could hear him walking up and down the short hallway murmuring soft promises of safety and security.  
  
When I woke the next morning, I was the last one up as usual. Mia was back from her sleepover and in the kitchen eating a big stack of pancakes. I smiled at her and reached to swipe a piece she swatted the back of my hand with her fork and nodded her head towards the garage in the back.  
  
I could see them before they could see me, the hood was up on the Charger and my dad held Letty on his hip and the both of them were leaning over the engine. I couldn't exactly hear what they were saying but she would point to something and he would murmur the expiation as to what it does. I guess I made a noise because Letty whipped her head around and tensed and my father slowly stood up to his full height. But seeing me, Letty relax and my father turned around and smiled.  
  
"Mornin' Dom. Just showin' Letty here the car. She's just a regular mechanic. Aren't ya sweetheart?" He said, chuckling and softly tickled her belly. Letty just beamed up at him, a big smile plastered across her face. I walked over to them and stood there mindlessly looking at the engine and when I looked over at them again, Letty just gave me that big smile and I knew I was a goner. I would make sure she was happy till the day I died. Nobody deserved to be treated the way she had been. And I would see to it that no one else did.  
  
Fini 


End file.
